​Summer festivals {aka themed markets} are my absolute favorite {on top of the every day markets + on top of the holiday markets...;)}. In London, besides the year-round markets, they have pop-ups that only occur during specific dates. The Dalston Street Feast is one such fest comprised of local food + drink vendors. Open only during the summer months, this market is a nighttime market, which closes around midnight on Fridays + Saturdays.

The Red Market, is a very similar concept, except it has limited food + drink vendors. And while I wasn't thrilled with the food options {we ended up *gasp* not eating at this market}, I liked its location: Shoreditch.

Shoreditch is an east-end area of London that is not yet gentrified, and I think they are doing their best to not allow chain restaurants + shops to enter its area. Shoreditch is the lovechild of Wicker Park + the West Loop in Chicago, if you can imagine that. It is strewn with street art, but it gives this part of town a lot of character. It's colorful, hipsterish {I mean, we saw a dog with cornrows...}, and unique {some buildings are made of recyclable material!}. The Red Market certainly reflects this part of London, with colorful décor, graffiti, and reclaimed materials. So while it may not have the best food options, it certainly was worth checking out.

So as summer {sigh} draws to a close, I'm going to have to soak in all the summer fests as possible. The other thing I'm going to have to soak in? Our upcoming Florida vacation. So with that said, I'm going to be signing off for a bit. I'll be back in the fall!